"Logical advantages -- such as holding a 12-point margin at the top of the championship, like Lando Norris has over Max Verstappen -- can hold little comfort when you qualify out of position and line up on the grid needing to make up places to secure the title. Each setup decision over a weekend can snowball in the wrong direction or you could, simply, become the unwitting victim of someone else's accident, safety car or pit strategy gamble during the race."
"And when there's more than two protagonists in the running -- like there is this year with Norris, Verstappen and Oscar Piastri all still mathematically in contention -- it's not unheard of for the outsider to emerge victorious. Minimizing pressure can sometimes be the easiest way to maximizing lap time. To borrow a phrase from legendary commentator Murray Walker: "Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does.""
Final-race title deciders have occurred 31 times across 75 championships. Title showdowns have been rare in the past decade, with only two prior to this weekend: 2016 (Nico Rosberg over Lewis Hamilton) and 2021 (Max Verstappen over Lewis Hamilton). Current title contention includes Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, with Norris holding a 12-point lead over Verstappen. Qualifying position, setup decisions, accidents, safety cars and pit-strategy gambles can overturn apparent championship advantages. Abu Dhabi pays heavily to host the season finale and often plays a significant role in determining the title outcome.
Read at ESPN.com
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